Thumb or finger guard



March 16, 1937. G. M. HOVEY 2,074,113

7 THUMB OR FINGER GUARD 1 Filed Sept. 7, 1955 Patented Mar. 16,- 1937 UNITED STATE 1 ATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to surgical appliances in the nature of a thumb or finger guard for infants, particularly adapted for use in preventing thumb or finger sucking and the primary object is to provide such an appliance, wherein is incorporated a body of pliable sheet material that will conform to the contour of the member encased, having means for preventing accidental displacement of the body, and novel structure for securing the body about the thumb or finger.

One of the important aims of the invention is the provision of an appliance of the aforementioned character having a body of leather or the like which may be worn constantly by the infant 5 during the period required in breaking it of thumb or finger sucking, which material will be pliable enough to permit normal functioning of the member encased and allow unencumbered use of the hands.

Specific structural features embodied in the thumb or finger guard constitute minor objects of the invention and such will become apparent during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a thumb or finger guard illustrating one embodiment of the invention and showing the same in position on the thumb of the right hand of an infant.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of the thumb or finger guard entirely removed from the operative position.

Fig. 3 is a stretch-out of the thumb or finger guard without the lace, and,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the thumb or finger guard as shown in Fig. 2.

It is recognized in this art that the use of surgical appliances such as guards of the character contemplated by this invention are to a great extent objectionable because of the injury to the wearer as a result of the use of the guards and further because when the guards of types heretofore known are worn, free and natural use of the hands is practically impossible.

In the selected embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith, the guard comprises the body portion 6 formed of pliable sheet material such as leather, and provided with a slit 8 which extends longitudinally inwardly from one end thereof to a point spaced from the other end. A series of holes H] is formed along each longitudinal edge respectively of body 6 and when the body is moved to position to encase a thumb or finger, as the case may be, a lace I2 is threaded through holes in so that body 6 will snugly fit 55 the thumb as shown in Fig. 1 and conform substantially to the contour thereof. Slit 8 is formed in body 6 so that there are two panels M and [6 created on the body for the purpose of making right and left hand thumb guards. Panel 16 is wider than panel l4 and overlies a portion of the palm of the hand H at the heel of the thumb T thereof.

Wrist encircling member l8 made of the same material as that used to make body 6 is secured by stitching or otherwise, as at 26, to body 6 so that one end of member I8 is secured to the body on each side of slit 8. Member 18 combines with slit 8 in presenting a circumscribing part of the guard which extends around the lower part of the palm of the hand H and wrist W of the wearer. When the hand has been slipped through the opening formed by slit 8 and member l8, panels M and I6 of body 6 may be drawn around thumb T and there laced together as illustrated. The line of juncture of the laced-together longitudinal edges of body 6 is centrally along the back of thumb T and when lace I2 is threaded as illustrated in Fig. 2, the ends thereof may be knotted together to prevent accidental displacement.

The leather from which the guard is construoted may be water-proofed in any desirable manner without overcoming any of the advantages and it has been found that the use of such a guard will apparently destroy the sensa-' tion gained by the infant when sucking its thumb or finger to an extent that the habit will not be continued a great length of time after the guard has been put in use.

Manifestly, the guard does not contain structure that would preclude normal routine of living and it is not uncomfortable to the extent that it needs to be removed for the purpose of relieving the wearer from time to time. One embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but it is desired to be limited only by the spirit 0 of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A thumb or finger guard for infants said guard comprising a body of pliable sheet material such as leather; a lace to secure the body in position encasing the thumb or finger and conforming substantially to the contour of the encased thumb or finger; and a member of pliable material such as leather encircling the lower part of the hand and wrist and having its ends permanently stitched to said body to prevent accidental removal of the body from the encased member, said member serving to prevent removal of the body only when the said lace is in operative position.

2. A guard of the character described comprising a body of pliable sheet material adapted to encase the thumb or finger of the wearer having a slit extending inwardly from one end thereof; a member having its ends secured to said body whereby to combine with the slit portion of the body in presenting a circumscribing portion encircling the wrist and lower part of the hand; and a lace securing together the opposed longitudinal edges of said body.

3. A guard of the character described comprising a body of pliable sheet material adapted to encase the thumb or finger of the wearer having a slit extending inwardly from one end thereof a member having its ends secured to said body whereby to combine with the slit portion of the body in presenting a circumscribing portion encircling the wrist and lower part of the hand; and a lace securing together the opposed longitudinal edges of said body, said edges and lace extending along the back of the thumb or finger encased by the said body.

4. A guard of the character described comprising a body of pliable sheet material such as leather, adapted to encase the thumb of the wearer, having a longitudinally extending slit formed inwardly from one end thereof, and having a series of holes formed therein along each longitudinal edge respectively thereof on each side of said slit; a strip of material having an end secured to the body on each side of said strip and formed to present a wrist-encircling member when the guard is in place; and a lace threaded through said holes, said slot being closer to one longitudinal edge of the body than the other whereby to form panels thereon of unequal width, the wider panel extending from a position over a portion of the palm of the hand of the wearer to a central longitudinal line along the back of the thumb whereby the line. of lace is along the back center of the thumb.

GERTRUDE M. HOVEY. 

